instructional design project

Distinguished Communicator Training Series

Kimberly Bourque HRE 7171 – Instructional Design for HRD April 29, 2009

Bourque – LSU Distinguished Communicator Training Series HRE 7171 Instructional Design

Louisiana State University, Spring 2009 Page 1 of 12

Proposal & Problem Identification

For my instructional design project this semester, I propose a training plan for the Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) program at LSU. This program strives to assist all undergraduate students at LSU with their communication skills. One small facet to this program is the Distinguished Communicator certification. This certification recognizes outstanding students for their exceptional communication skills. Since this certification has only been certifying students since 2007, CxC has many opportunities to recruit exceptional students for their hard work at the university-level as well as target those diamonds that just may need a little polishing to shine.

My training plan is to assist students in the Distinguished Communicator program with meeting the requirements of the certification. After speaking with students for the last two semesters, CxC can find amazing students who just need a little work and the training programs will offer this assistance. This four-part series (1.5 hrs each, not for college credit) that I am proposing would have the ability to be offered multiple times a semester and by different satellite groups of CxC (e.g. our communication studios). At this time the courses offered will be an intro to the Distinguished Communicator program, an intro to Dreamweaver, an intro to editing film and how to be a good communicator with a focus on alleviating fears of public speaking.

The intro to the certification would assist students with the requirements to becoming a Distinguished Communicator (12 hrs of communication-intensive courses, building a digital portfolio—private and public, leadership and experiential learning). With the extra time devoted to introducing interested students to the program, information can be covered completely along with an extensive Q&A to follow. This time will also allow students more time to begin working on a beginning reflection (part of the private portfolio) and brainstorming about courses that would meet the 12-hour requirement, as well as any experiences that could count for leadership and experiential learning.

The intro to utilizing the Dreamweaver software would be a very basic, beginner’s course with the purpose of having students at least beginning their own homepage. Students often leave their digital portfolio as their last requirement that they complete because they are frightened of web building software. We would like to show them how easily they can create even a basic start to a website and host it on LSU’s webhosting space.

The beginner’s film editing course will assist with the requirement that students must provide past and present video’s of presentations with an audience. This course will assist students with editing their entire speech down to the important, smaller points that can be included on their private portfolio as well as their public side if they so choose.

Lastly, it seems that many students do not know how to be a good communicator or at least to recognize the characteristics that they possess to have communication skills. Many students have a terrifying fear of speaking in public and this course would be one to assist in lowering this fear and building student confidence for speaking to an audience.



Need and Scope

Organization

The Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) program at Louisiana State University assists undergraduate students, campus-wide with communication skills and in an effort to better assist those students who are candidates for the Distinguished Communicator program, a series of training workshops are proposed to assist those in gaining the skills needed to obtain the certification. Currently, students are required to successfully complete 12-hours of communication-intensive courses, which are certified by CxC, and build a digital portfolio, which showcase talents at the University-level that the student can then utilize for job applications/resumes/graduate applications. Statement of need

The need for this instructional design focus stems from past students who have completed the

Distinguished Communicator certification and their struggles with creating the required digital portfolio. To assist in their effort, the training design will also incorporate other learning opportunities that students have expressed interest in during one-on-one meetings with CxC staff. The central staff of CxC, comprised of the Director, Assistant Director and Administrative Coordinator recognized a need to assist students beyond merely certifying courses that are communication-intensive, but to assist in areas, which are more general and basic. These areas are ones that instructors typically do not have time in one semester to address. Population

The target population for this training program is undergraduate students (typically age 18-22) who have enrolled in the Distinguished Communicator program. These students voluntarily apply to become a candidate of the certification and are accepted with a 3.0 GPA or higher; below 3.0 to 2.0 additional materials are requested for entry. Students that have a 3.0 in their university courses tend to have better communication skills than maybe those with a lower GPA. Those students who exhibit a stronger need for communication assistance will be worked with more closely. The student attendance to the workshops will also be on a voluntary basis. If students feel the need to seek assistance with one of the four training sessions offered (not for college credit), they are able to attend free of charge and will receive no outside credit/benefit/payment for their attendance. Barriers to training A potential barrier to learning during the hands-on training is that students tend to utilize the computers to check e-mail, facebook or to serve as a distraction from the workshop. During the lecture-based instruction students may not be completely attentive and may not remain focused for the entire workshop thereby missing important aspects to take away. Lastly, a barrier to training is student participation. Students are extremely busy with course work and may have limited breaks during the day in order to attend supplemental training programs in which they receive no direct credit. Scheduling the training programs that are convenient to the largest population of interested students will remain a difficult and nearly impossible task to overcome.



Instructional Team Due to the nature of the university and the state of the economy, the CxC program staff members and studio coordinators (and eventually mentors) will be delivering the training programs. The training instructor educational backgrounds range from a Bachelor’s degree to PhD candidate graduate students to PhD faculty members to a Masters degree and no official teaching experience. The instructors will be paired with the training workshops that best suit their talents and backgrounds. Training Environment

Training will likely be delivered in one of the four CxC Communication Studios stationed across campus in order to provide convenient locations for different students and will range in date/time to maximize attendance. The communication studios are equipped with computer stations, ample work area, multimedia equipment and software in order to deliver the instruction as well as provide hands-on opportunities for students attending the workshop. Additional members of the CxC team will be on-hand to assist students with questions and offer one-on-one support with the instruction. Due to the size constraints and equipment availability, the workshop enrollment will be capped at 10-15 students for the workshops involving computer- and camera-based instruction. The initial introduction to the Distinguished Communicator program and assistance with communication skills focused on public speaking will have the ability to enroll more students since computers will not be required during this workshop. Constraints & Resources Due to the cost of purchasing additional equipment, the workshops will be designed with a small group in mind. The video editing course will require the access of camcorders and computers with video editing software of which CxC as in possession, but only for a limited number of students to utilize at once. The instruction of Dreamweaver to assist students with their digital portfolios will be written to assist with the CS3 version of the Adobe product because of the $350/license price tag for CS4 – Web Premium. Materials will be provided to the participants in order for the students to have references to refer to when off-campus working on their materials. For the introduction to the Distinguished Communicator workshop, students will be provided with a packet of information to read at their leisure. Lastly, the communication skills workshop will also incorporate printed materials and one-on-one assistance and guidance for specific problems regarding communication assignments or challenges. Scope The training workshops will each be conducted twice per semester, more as needed and will be adapted to adjust to the needs of entering students. Each training session will last for 90 minutes with at least 60 minutes of lecture/hands-on instruction and 30 minutes for questions and answer sessions with individual/group work by participants. The courses will be open to students enrolled in the Distinguished Communicator program and can be extended to students outside of the program once revisions and successful implementation of the training sessions have been conducted on a smaller scale.



Task Analysis

For this instructional design project, a four-part series of workshops will be created aimed towards LSU undergraduate students who are enrolled in the Distinguished Communicator program sponsored by Communication across the Curriculum (CxC). Since the task of training is the one that is most prominent in this project, the job of training coordinator is what will be analyzed. Job Title & Description

Training Specialist: A training specialist is one defined by the Occupational Handbook as one who conducts training for employees; however, in this instance, the participants will be students. This job title is not to be confused with that of teacher because the trainer may not have studied to become a professional teacher. Job Function

a. Deliver training to students participating in the workshop b. Develop and revise instruments utilized in training c. Assist students with understanding basic principles d. Provide hands-on assistance with software or equipment

Job Tasks Provide hands-on assistance with software or equipment

Tasks (tasks may vary with specific training) a. Set-up equipment for training (3) b. Turn on computer and start up specified software (3) c. Answer questions and guide user (1) d. Provide effective examples to aid in learning (2)

Sub-Tasks Answer questions and guide user

a. Be knowledgeable of software or equipment utilized in training (1) b. Promote learning and motivation (2) c. Troubleshoot problems (2)

Tools, Objects & Materials Materials needed is a user’s manual, knowledge of the equipment or software Conditions The workshop will be conducted in one of the Communication Studios. There the trainer will have access to the equipment utilized in the training, air conditioning/heat, devoid of extreme conditions (minus those present in Coates Hall).



Knowledge, Skills & Abilities The competencies and knowledge required to assist with answering questions regarding equipment or software is the familiarity with the specific item being used and the skills to communicate answers properly without condescending the participant. Abilities needed are that of being able to speak in front of a group of students and deliver training clearly to impart understanding of the equipment and /or software. Methodology Bureau of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook – see Human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists



Project-Level Design Course Description

For this instructional design project this semester, a training plan is proposed for the Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) program at LSU. This program strives to assist all undergraduate students at LSU with their communication skills. One small facet to this program is the Distinguished Communicator certification. This certification recognizes outstanding students for their exceptional communication skills. Since this certification has only been certifying students since 2007, CxC has many opportunities to recruit exceptional students for their hard work at the university-level as well as target those diamonds that just may need a little polishing to shine.

The training plan is to assist students in the Distinguished Communicator program with meeting the requirements of the certification. After speaking with students for the last two semesters, CxC can find amazing students who just need a little work and the training programs will offer this assistance. This four-part series (1.5hrs each) propsal would have the ability to be offered multiple times a semester and by different satellite groups of CxC (e.g. our communication studios). At this time, the courses offered will be an introduction to the Distinguished Communicator program, an introduction to Dreamweaver, an introduction to editing film and how to be a good communicator with a focus on alleviating fears of public speaking.

The introduction to the certification would assist students with the requirements to becoming a Distinguished Communicator (12 hours of communication-intensive courses, building a digital portfolio—private and public, leadership and experiential learning). With the extra time devoted to introducing interested students to the program, information can be covered completely along with an extensive Q&A to follow. This time will also allow students more time to begin working on a beginning reflection (part of the private portfolio) and brainstorming about courses that would meet the 12-hour requirement, as well as any experiences that could count for leadership and experiential learning.

The introduction to utilizing the Dreamweaver software would be a very basic, beginner’s course with the purpose of having students at least beginning their own homepage. Students often leave their digital portfolio as their last requirement that they complete because they are frightened of web building software. We would like to show them how easily they can create even a basic start to a website and host it on LSU’s webhosting space.

The beginner’s film editing course will assist with the requirement that students must provide past and present video’s of presentations with an audience. This course will assist students with editing their entire speech down to the important, smaller points that can be included on their private portfolio as well as their public side if they so choose.

Lastly, it seems that many students do not know how to be a good communicator or at least to recognize the characteristics that they possess to have communication skills. Many students have a terrifying fear of speaking in public and this course would be one to assist in lowering this fear and building student confidence for speaking to an audience. Instructional goals

Upon completion of the Distinguished Communicator orientation workshop, the student will be able to describe the requirements for becoming a Distinguished Communicator



Upon completion of the iMovie/Camcorder workshop, the student will be able to properly use a camcorder and corresponding editing software

Upon the conclusion of the public speaking workshop, participants will be able to recognize proper public speaking techniques

At the conclusion of the Dreamweaver/portfolio workshop, participants will be able demonstrate basic functions of website building in Dreamweaver

To increase student knowledge of the subject matter taught as a result of their workshop attendance

Competencies

Distinguished Communicator Workshop

Participants will have knowledge of the requirements to become a Distinguished Communicator

Participants will be aware of resources available while working towards becoming a Distinguished Communicator

Camcorder/iMovie Workshop

Participants should display proper techniques for the utilization of a camcorder and accessories.

Participants should possess knowledge of basic editing functions in iMovie.

Participants must know how to import video from their recorded footage

Dreamweaver/Portfolio Workshop

Participants will have a basic understanding and knowledge the principles and techniques used to create a portfolio

Participants will be able to use Dreamweaver to produce a basic website

Participants will know how to upload their website to live webhosting space

Public Speaking

Participants will be able to recognize symptoms of anxiety towards public speaking and how to alleviate the issues

Participants will also have an understanding of the proper procedures to use when developing a speech

Project Outline

Module 1: Distinguished Communicator Introduction

Module 2: Introduction to iMovie and camcorder functionality

Module 3: Introduction to Dreamweaver and basic portfolio principles

Module 4: Strategies for effective public speaking *None of the courses are required for the certification and students will not be required to take a specific sequence of the course, only on an as-needed basis. Training Structure

Module 1: Distinguished Communicator Introduction i. Introduction to CxC ii. Distinguished Communicator Overview



iii. Requirements a. 12-hr Communication-Intensive (C-I) Course requirement

i. C-I courses ii. Contracts

iii. Substitutions b. Digital Portfolio

i. Public ii. Private

1. Required Documents 2. Why a private portfolio

c. Experiential learning requirement d. Leadership requirement e. Reflection Prompts f. Faculty Advisor g. Submission due dates

iv. Timeline v. Resources vi. Questions

Module 2: Introduction to iMovie and camcorder functionality o Private Portfolio requirement (where the recording capabilities come in handy) o Identification of equipment o Basic functions of the equipment (battery, tape, A/V inputs/outputs, firewire cable) o iMovie

Beginning a project Importing video files Editing video files

o iDvd Introduction Burning a dvd

o Questions

Module 3: Introduction to DreamWeaver and basic portfolio principles o Public Portfolio requirement o Principles of creating a portfolio (written or electronic)

Rhetoric Arrangement Style

o Designing a portfolio Process

Storyboarding

Research

Brainstorming Organization Layout Balance Navigation Selection of Materials



o Building a portfolio Dreamweaver basics Uploading portfolio to webhosting space

Module 4: Strategies for effective public speaking o Understanding nerves/tips for being relaxed o Creating the message to be delivered

Content Sequence Audience Practice Feedback

Prerequisites

Participants of the CxC training workshops must be accepted into the Distinguished Communicator program (typically requires a 3.0 GPA for overall and current for application). Additionally, participants of each workshop must pre-register in order for the proper allotment of training materials, and applicable equipment and computers. Learner Evaluation

For the hands-on workshops (Dreamweaver & iMovie), the participants should be able to demonstrate basic competencies for utilizing the equipment or software. Observing the transfer of learning can be made efficient by creating a checklist of abilities the students should be able to demonstrate after the course. Participant questions are another way to gauge understanding and learning of the material.

For the lecture-based instruction, evaluation of learning will be a little harder to obtain. Participants should be able to simply regurgitate and have knowledge of the requirements for the Distinguished Communicator program. For public speaking, the students should be able to recognize their nervousness and apprehension to speaking in front of an audience, reflect on that fear and know how to take steps to overcome the fear (or at least make an effort). Follow-up

Informal follow-up with the students will be completed as they advance in the program and grow to understand more about college, reasons why the certification is a great opportunity for a student and how to fit the requirements into their studies. Once students realize the intrinsic motivation behind completing the program, the rest will follow. An email can also be sent to participants about a week after their workshop to see if they had any other questions since students can often be shy about asking questions in front of others or sometimes do not have questions until they process what they experienced. Record Keeping

Students who attend the workshops will be asked to sign in with their name, major and graduation date. If the workshops are offered in our Communication Studios, the students will then sign into our Accutrack information management system in order to count towards end-of-the-semester data that is collected by CxC for reporting. Lastly, the student’s participation in a specific workshop can also be documented on CxC’s distinguished communicator application database.



Time line/Time frame

Each of the workshops will be offered twice a semester, on different days and times in order to accommodate students who are in class. Theoretically, with four workshops to offer twice a semester and sixteen weeks of a semester, two courses (different combinations of courses) need to be taught every four weeks. The frequency of the courses can increase with projected need. Teaching Methodology

For the workshops that focus on the requirements for the Distinguished Communicator program and public speaking techniques and strategies, the method will be lecture-based. Students will be allowed to ask questions before, during and after the workshop in order to clarify information presented.

The iMovie and Dreamweaver workshops will be hands-on and instructor-lead learning experiences. Students will be able to utilize the equipment and software as the instructor is guiding them through specifically set up examples in order to produce a sample product.

In all four workshops, students will be provided with packets of information and CxC hopes to find funding to purchase “What every student should know about Building a Digital Portfolio” to hand out in the Dreamweaver/portfolio class. There is also a public speaking version of this book that students may purchase for a quick reference guide, but CxC probably will not give this out. Issues affecting the project

A potential barrier to learning during the hands-on training is that students tend to utilize the computers to check e-mail, facebook or to serve as a distraction from the workshop. During the lecture-based instruction students may not be completely attentive and may not remain focused for the entire workshop thereby missing important aspects to take away. Lastly, a barrier to training is student participation. Students are extremely busy with course work and may have limited breaks during the day in order to attend supplemental training programs in which they receive no direct credit. Scheduling the training programs that are convenient to the largest population of interested students will remain a difficult and nearly impossible task to overcome. Formative/Summative Evaluation

Formative Evaluation. Members of CxC’s staff and Studios will receive the workshops in order to provide feedback and suggestions in order to make the information as complete as possible. Student mentors then will also be able to review the material to see if the information is written towards a student’s perspective.

Summative Evaluation. Kirkpatrick’s Performance Evaluation model will be utilized for accessing

this workshop. First for the reaction level, students will be asked how they felt about the workshop, what could we do to make it better, what did we do well and would they recommend the workshop to other students? Secondly, for the learning level, a small “test” of the participant knowledge can be done by utilizing a checklist of common competencies that the students should have learned to gauge learning. Lastly, the behavior level will be evident if a student turns in required documents for the



Distinguished Communicator certification. One major part of the requirements is the ability to build a digital portfolio (preferably in Dreamweaver) and the other is to have recorded evidence of speaking abilities in a classroom setting. The results level will be extremely hard to assess from this workshop; therefore, will probably not be utilized.